In the state of Ireland, blasphemy is prohibited against any form of religion. Originally, it was limited to Christianity and was required to be prohibited by Article 40.6.1.i. of the 1937 Constitution. The common law offence of blasphemous libel, applicable only to Christianity and last prosecuted unsuccessfully in 1855, was ruled in 1999 to be incompatible with the Constitution's guarantee of religious equality. The deficit was filled in 2009 by a new offence of publication or utterance of blasphemous matter, against any religion. The continued existence of a blasphemy offence is controversial, with proponents of freedom of speech and freedom of religion arguing it should be removed. The government formed in 2016 has committed to holding a referendum on abolishing the constitutional offence, which is required to amend the constitution. This referendum was held on 26 October 2018. Results showed the amendment to remove the blasphemy offense from the Irish Constitution passed by a margin of 64.85% to 35.15%. However, this does not repeal the 2009 Defamation Act, which enforces a fine of up to 25,000 euros for blasphemy.
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